March 7, 2015
SMYRNA, TN—The second best team game in program history and steady play throughout the day boosted the host Vanderbilt Commodores into first place after Saturday’s action had concluded at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic.
Vanderbilt ended the day with a 4-1 won-loss mark and 58 pins more than second place Central Missouri. Since the tournament format had to be revised due to the winter travel problems of many teams, Sunday’s play will consist of five, five-game Baker matches and not the typical bracket. Technically an official tournament champion cannot be crowned as two-day tournaments are not considered adequate per NCAA rules.
One of the Commodores’ wins came against No. 9 ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater; Vandy’s 1,166 score was the second best in school history. Freshman Katie Stark blazed the trail with a lead-off 288, fifth best ever by a Commodore, notching a spare in the first and following it with 10 strikes and an 8-count.
With the lanes seemingly on fire and all five `Dores well over 200, the big Vanderbilt cheering section was roaring with each successive bingo.
“I thought we began pretty good but we lost some focus after the big game with Whitewater,” said Coach John Williamson. “We started really slow against Central Missouri and even slower against LIU (a team coming off a tourney win at Stephen F. Austin) but luckily we were able to put a middle together that got us back in it. When we want to accomplish what we want to accomplish you can’t have starts like that but we’ll learn and come back better.”
Williamson once again liked what the middle of his lineup of Nicole Powell, Amanda Fry and Rebeca Reguero offered in terms of consistency.
I think Nicole, Amanda and Rebeca were very good,” he continued. “Rebeca didn’t post the monster scores but she was solid all day. Amanda had some great games and could have had even higher ones. It’s hard to remember that this is really just Nicole’s fifth day of spending extensive time in the order and she is holding her own quite well.”
Reguero credited energy and teamwork to the good day.
“The shot is definitely there and once we keep the energy up in the settee we do very well,” Reguero says. “We were supporting each other in that 1100 game. Everyone was bowling well today. Robyn has held us up so many times these past years so today was our turn to hold her up a bit.”
Fry, the junior from California, said she was having a blast.
“I was having so much fun,” she said. “Following Nicole and having Becs behind me, I didn’t have to worry about making a good shot or a bad shot. It was just fun; I thought I was fairly consistent on my first shot and pretty clean on my spares and I think that was the case for most of our team all day.
“We wanted to double in each half and I think we pretty much did that today,” Fry continued. “Katie’s 10 in a row were incredible in that big game and she is a huge spark of energy for our team. We all fed off the energy; we could have capitalized on even more opportunities in that game.”
Vanderbilt has now posted its two best team games in the same season. It’s 1,236 at Kutztown is one of the highest scores in NCAA history.
Play begins at 8:30 a.m. Sunday at the Smryna Bowling Center.
Vandy Capsules
VU – Saint Peters
Lineup: Stark, Powell, Fry, Reguero, Renslow
The middle part of the Commodore lineup was steady and strong with Powell, Fry and Reguero, whose 236 led the way. Fry was on course for a possible 279 when her first ball in the ninth caught her ankle and fell in the gutter. She recovered for a fine 227. The lane pattern seemed friendly to left-handers and Vandy responded by using four.
VU – Saint Francis (NY)
Lineup: Stark, Powell, Fry, Reguero, Renslow
All four lefties cracked 200, aided in part by very strong finishes. Powell led everyone with a 238, ending with four straight. Stark had a 6-bagger to close at 229 and Reguero had three strikes in her last four balls for finish at 203.
VU – Wisconsin Whitewater
Lineup: Stark, Powell, Fry, Reguero, Renslow
Vanderbilt exploded for an 1,166 – second highest team score in program history – and overwhelmed a good Whitewater team for its third win of the day. Stark notched a spare in the first, the rattled off 10 in a row to a 288, fifth best individual score in program history. All five `Dores were well over 200 and all had long strings of strikes as a partisan crowd roared its approval for each new bulls-eye. Vandy had notched a 1,236 game at the Kutztown Invitational earlier this season. The pin count pushed VU into a temporary tourney lead.
VU – Central Missouri
Lineup: Stark, Powell, Fry, Reguero, Renslow
Fourth ranked Central Missouri put the Commodores into a quick deficit position and with solid play was able to maintain it for the win. The `Dores were a little creaky early coming off their big pin effort but settled in a bit too late. The 1,008 pins were enough to beat some teams but not a top team playing well. Stark had strikes in seven of her last eight balls to end at 225, Fry closed with four in a row for 216 and Reguero added 202.
VU – LIU Brooklyn
Lineup: Stark, Powell, Fry, Reguero, Renslow
Vandy once again dug itself in a quick, big hole but this time were able to regroup and won a grind-it-out game. Reguero closed with six strikes in seven throws for a fine 248 and Fry was a big help with her 225. The `Dores pulled away with five strikes in the eighth.